Every Step We Take, We Take Together
by melroihag
Summary: *SPOILERY... SORT OF* Just a one shot based off of latest BTS pics from Steveston. Set in the Underworld - Emma and Killian.


_This is based off of an idea I got from the latest BTS pictures of Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) & Killian Jones/Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) on top of the Underworld!Storybrooke's Library. I heard a song recently which helped set the mood for this too. The song being 'There's A Ghost' by Fleurie. — I hope you enjoy what I came up with! _

Four days. They'd been in the Underworld only four days, found Killian just four days ago and they were still no closer to coming up with an exit plan to get them all home, than they were when they crossed over and entered the damned place.

Emma must have fallen asleep because the last thing she remembers was watching Killian's chest rise and fall, gently with every breath he took. She'd memorised the faint laugh lines and the odd freckle scattered across his face. She'd noticed the dark circles under his eyes and that's when her stomach had dropped. With every fine detail of his features cataloguing themselves into her long-term memory, the lump in her throat had grown bigger as her vision blurred from the fast building tears. The sudden reality of him being here, beside her again, forcing her to silence her sobs with the pillow on which she lay. She'd feel her heartbeat begin to race every time she blinked or even took her eyes off of him for a split second. She'd found his hand and interlaced her fingers with his, before kissing his cheek as she felt him squeeze her hand gently.

Emma had woken to find Killian was no longer there beside her and her heartbeat picked up an almost dangerously fast pace. Her breathing came in quick gasps as her eyes scanned the room frantically until they landed upon a folded piece of paper on the beside table next to her.

Her fingers switched the lamp on as she blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the light flickering to life.

 _Swan,_

 _I woke and couldn't get back to sleep, and thus decided to go for a walk to clear my head._

 _If you were worried, I apologise. I just didn't wish to wake you, Love._

 _You needed some rest._

 _See you soon,_

 _I love you._

 _KJ_

Her heartbeat slowed down just a fraction, but not entirely. She hated not being able to have eyes on him at all times after what happened.

Not being able to go back to sleep, she slipped the coat on she found in the closet, over her sweater and ventured out to find the restless pirate.

It was cold out as Emma made her way down the road. The street lamps flickering on and off, paired with the eery silence made for one hell of a haunting environment. She wanted nothing more than to find Killian and get back to where her parents were, so they could go through different potential leaving strategies. She was starting to agree with Robin's fears on how long their stay in the Underworld would affect them once they crossed back.

Of all the places in this upside-down cursed version of Storybrooke, ( a.k.a. "the Underworld") Emma could think of only a few places that would've led Killian to end up on his walk. She decided to go with her first choice, her guts decision.

She reached the library roof and her heartbeat slowed to normal the instant her eyes drank him in. She gave herself a few minutes to just watch him, wiping away the tears of relief that she'd found him… again. She could see his hand bawling into a fist numerous times at his side. She exhaled a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, once he took a few steps back from the ledge.

The last time he'd been on the roof of this library, or rather the library in actual Storybrooke, she'd been the Dark One and saved him from falling to his death. The memory stung and she winced as she pushed it to the back of her mind quickly, instead focussing on the fact he was alive (some what) and breathing before her.

She made her way over towards him quietly, noticing how the brightness of the full moon cast a glowing outline of his body as he stood with his back to her.

"Killian… are you alright?" she asked approaching him.

"Emma?" he turned around and sighed with relief at her presence. "Are you alright, Love?" he asked, tilting his head as his brow furrowed with concern.

"I'm sure I asked you that first." she read his face skilfully and saw the conflicting feelings battling it out behind his eyes.

He settled for a small smile and huff of a laugh, "Aye, Love. Just couldn't get back to sleep. Sorry if I woke you." he said barely above a whisper as he turned his head to look back over the town.

Emma's sniffles brought his attention back as his head snapped in her direction. He held his arms out invitingly. "Swan, what's wrong?" he asked, she could hear the desperate voice inside of him wishing he could make all of this pain go away. She dragged her feet over to stand in front of him and leant into his space just a little.

"The last time you were up here - in Storybrooke - you jumped." she stuttered and glanced up at him from under long lashes, eyes brimmed with tears.

Killian closed his eyes and Emma's gaze dropped as she saw his jaw twitching violently. "I am sorry, Emma." the way he said her name made her heart flutter, as the sudden reality hit her again that she very nearly came close to never hearing it again. The tears in her eyes fell freely as she rest her forehead against his. "I never meant to hurt y-" he tried to explain, his tone pained.

"Shh. Not now." she whispered quickly, opening her eyes to stare into a bright blue. She noticed that her hands had absentmindedly found their way to clutch at his leather jacket, closing what distance was left between them. "When we get back to Storybrooke?" she said it more like a suggestion, like a question that they'd discuss everything once they got back _home_ to _their house_.

"As you wish." he smirked and raised his brow playfully.

She was always grateful when he took her hints to make a situation less awkward or emotional.

Emma rolled her eyes at him, remember the first time he said those three words to her. After their first kiss in Neverland. The memory alone making her lips tingle.

"I suppose we should get back to planning an escape, aye?" he asked, his tone sounding distant as he tried desperately to read her, to try and decipher what she was thinking.

Emma edged slightly forward to look over the edge of the building, and found that distance was certainly daunting as her stomach did a somersault. Thoughts of how he could have even found the courage to jump that time back in Storybrooke, just to get her to talk to him… it made guilt settle in the pit of her stomach as her mind raced.

"Hey." Killian tugged the sleeve of her coat.

Emma glanced up at him and couldn't help but smile when he stared at her like that.

His dimples flashed and his cheeks flushed as he stared down at her. "Every step we take now, we take together." he nodded, the way he phrased his statement was more of a question and Emma leant into his embrace again.

"Together." she agreed with a smile of her own.

"C'mon, let's go find a way out of here." he suggested.

A loud cracking sound echoed throughout the streets of the plagued town, causing both Emma and Killian to jump, a little startled.

They shared a concerned look before racing toward the loft where her parents, Henry, Robin, Regina and Gold were held up planning.

The sooner they got out of this purgatory, the better for them all.


End file.
